


Gravity, Magnetism, and Other Strange Forces

by notmagikarp



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Angst, Bubbline, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Mutual Pining, Non-Linear Narrative, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:05:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notmagikarp/pseuds/notmagikarp
Summary: In the new and changing world of Ooo, friendships can come from the strangest places. Two monarchs without kingdoms, two people that feel that inexplicable pull towards each other. Eternity is a long time to get to know someone.A collection of fairly short one shots that chronicle the 800 years that Marceline and Bubblegum had before the series starts. Will have the occasional chapter that is set during the show, but most will be either set in the past or present day but talking about pre-series events. Is Bubbline, but mostly some good old fashioned mutual pining with a dash of that top shelf angst. Non-chronological. Canon compliant. Expected to be between 20 and 30 chapters.





	1. The Stars (late 300s AW)

**Author's Note:**

> Since the timeline in the AT universe is... like that... I've created my own calendar for this fic so that y'all will have an easier time understanding when exactly everything takes place. I did my research, so all dates below should at the very least be canon compliant. The only one that's impossible to know is when they first met (RIP in peace).
> 
> Ooo Calendar/timeline:  
> 04BW - 1001 AW  
> BW (before war) AW (after war)
> 
> Mushroom war: 0 AW/BW  
> Marceline Born: 4 BW  
> Bubblegum pops off the mother gum: 197 AW  
> First meet: ~250s AW
> 
> (The Adventure Time Series starts in 996AW, ends in 1001AW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two stargaze and chat one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in the late 300s AW. So, they've known each other for a little bit, but it's still fairly early on in their friendship and they're still learning about each other.

Marceline was late. As usual.

The chill of the night was slowly creeping through Bubblegum’s light jacket. She crossed her arms, tugging at her sleeves to pull any tiny bit of warmth closer. As she made her way through the woods, the trees rustled their empty branches, creaking in the cold. In the silver glow of the moonlight, her breath puffed out thick and white in front of her as she exhaled.

Bubblegum reached the end of the woods and came to an open field. The grass, now normally yellow from the bite of winter, was a sea of silvery-white. Each slow, rippling movement from the wind in the grass felt like a tender motion, lazy and almost loving in an odd way.

Suddenly, an icy grip wrapped around her shoulder.

Bubblegum’s heart stopped hard against her ribs. Her body working on instinct, she turned on her heel with a fist raised. She heard this stranger start to say something, but it was too late. Her punch landed squarely on the nose of a familiar pale face. They let out of hiss of pain, and Bubblegum gasped when she realized just who it was she punched.

Marceline had been knocked out of the air and was crumpled on the ground, face in her hands. She grunted out a muffled “What the Hell?” from behind her fingers.

“Marceline! I didn't know it was you, oh my grod are you ok? Why were you sneaking up on me?”

Feeling a mix of anger and concern, Bubblegum had nelt down in front of Marceline. Her hands hovered in the air unsure of what to do. She knew it must have hurt pretty badly, her own hand was throbbing as she held it out.

Marceline groaned, then spoke in a nasally voice, “Jeez Bonnie, I'm just gonna wear a bell from now on.” She pulled her hands off of her face and looked up at a very worried, and angry, Bonnibel Bubblegum. “Listen Princess, I float off the ground. I don't know what you want from me.”

Bubblegum sat back on her heels and rolled her eyes “Oh I don't know, how about a ‘hello Bonnibel’? Would that be so hard?”

Marceline chuckled, “Well just be glad I'm not some softie mortal because my nose was definitely broken for a second there. That’s one crazy right hook you got Bon Bon.”

Bubblegum’s face twisted with guilt.

Marceline quickly backtracked, “Oh no-- Bonnie don't feel bad, I fixed it. It like, didn't hurt that bad don't worry about it.”

Bonnie still looked skeptical, her hands twisted together between her knees. Marceline shot her a pointy grin, and reached over to place her hand on top of Bonnie's fidgeting ones. “Really, I'm fine.”

Marceline felt Bubblegum’s hands still underneath her own. She looked down at the red knuckles on Bubblegum’s right hand. Carefully, she pulled the hand towards herself for a closer look.

After a moment, “Yikes dude, it looks like it hurts,” Marceline said, scrunching up her nose. “I guess I really should make more noise.”

Bubblegum suppressed a wince as Marceline inspected her bruised knuckles. The way Marceline’s cool touch brushed over her still throbbing knuckles felt good. She took a shaky breath.

“I'm fine,” she insisted, though it came off a little weak. “Don't worry about it. It's just a little bruised.”

Bubblegum gave a small smile, and when Marceline returned it, she felt something wake up inside her guts. A soft something hummed in the back of her mind, what exactly she wasn't sure. She felt like Marceline’s green eyes would burn through her. She blinked and Marceline was looking back down at their hands.

A few more moments passed before they looked back up at each other. Both suddenly very aware that perhaps this had gone on too long, they pulled their hands apart. They both stood up at the same time, Marceline dusting off her pants as Bubblegum cleared her throat.

“So… Marcy. What did you want to show me?”

Marceline’s hands stilled mid-pat. “Oh right!” She turned and pointed directly upwards, “This!”

Bubblegum followed Marceline’s hand up to the sky, where the stars and the moon were shining. “The stars? You just wanted us to look at the stars?”

Marceline laughed, tossing her arm over Bubblegum’s shoulders. “Yeah, but I wanted to show you the cool way of stargazing.”

“You know I made a telescope back at the village right?”

“Yeah, but I said the _cool_ way, not the nerd way,” Marceline pulled Bubblegum closer and ruffled her hair for good measure.  
  
Bubblegum rolled her eyes in fake offense, shoving away a cackling Marceline so she could fix her hair. “Okay, okay. Show me the ‘cool way’, I suppose.”

Marceline hopped back up into the air, “Sweet. Hold onto that pink butt Princess.”

“My bu--?” Without any hesitation Marceline scooped Bubblegum up into her arms and took off into the sky.

Bubblegum instinctively wrapped her arms around Marceline’s neck in a death grip. Daring to look down, she saw the ground quickly getting further and further way. They were hundreds of feet in the air and still climbing. She felt Marceline chuckle against her chest, and looked up to see an annoying smirk on her face.

“Scared of heights Bonnibel?” Marceline teased, a forked tongue poking out.

“No!” Bubblegum replied defensively. “I’ve just never flown before. And I’ve never been this high up either. But I’m not freaking out or anything!”

Marceline’s smile widened. “Good. We’re here.”

With that, she slowed to a stop. They were very high up now, and Bubblegum was certain she could see almost the entirety of Ooo stretching out below them.

“Whoa…” Bubblegum breathed in awe. It was incredible.

She felt Marceline’s arms hold her a little tighter and she turned her head to look up at her again.

Marceline was still grinning that stupid pointy grin, but the previous antagonistic look in her eyes had changed to something much softer and lighter. “Yeah. I’ve been doing this for over a hundred years and I still say ‘whoa’ when I see it.”

Bubblegum’s stomach fluttered in that unfamiliar way again as Marceline looked down at her. Maybe she _was_ scared of heights? Or maybe she was just scared because the only thing separating her from becoming a pink pancake on the ground were two kinda skinny looking arms under her knees and back. Yes, this feeling was fear. Probably. That was the most likely explanation, logically speaking.

“Umm… so you’re not gonna drop me right? Like I know you’re strong or whatever but how long can you keep this up? Won’t you get tired?” Bubblegum tried not to let her nerves show too much.

Marceline raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you really _are_ scared? Don’t you trust me Bonnie?” Her teasing tone was back again, and she continued as Bubblegum opened her mouth to protest, “Don’t worry dude. I have healing powers and super strength. My muscles won’t get tired from this. But, if it makes you feel better...”

Black leathery wings sprouted from her back as her limbs began to shift and elongate, shaggy fur covering her from head to toe. Marceline had morphed into a huge black bat in a matter of seconds. She lifted a dumbfounded Bubblegum up to her shoulder.

“ ** _Climb on my back._** ” Marceline’s voice was deeper, half growl. Bubblegum just nodded and climbed on.

“ ** _Better?_** ”

“Yeah, actually. Thanks.”

And it was true, Bubblegum felt a lot safer now that she could grab a handful of fur to keep herself upright. Well, that coupled with the fact that bat-Marcy was at least three times the size she was. Laying on a big heap of fur didn’t hurt her ability to keep warm either.

“Remind me to do some tests on you sometime. This is insane.”

Marceline made a deep throaty noise that Bubblegum assumed was a laugh. “ _ **This? You’ve seen me shape-shift before. It’s no big deal.**_ _”_

“Yeah but, I mean, what are you exactly? I know you’re a vampire, but how are you this... powerful? I’ve never heard of a vampire that can do all the stuff you can. In fact, I’ve never even met another vampire. Were you a human before?”

Marceline was quiet for a few moments, the sound of her giant wings beating slowly the only noise in their little pocket of the sky. Bubblegum got the sense she may have crossed a line. She didn’t know much at all about Marceline’s past. Obviously whatever had happened was a sensitive topic.

“Bonnie,” Marceline’s voice was back to normal now, sounding softer and smoother than ever in contrast with the growl from before. “Can you tell me some lame science stuff about the stars?”

Bubblegum was too distracted by Marceline’s sudden voice change that she missed the insult. _So, she can control that._ She fought back her overwhelming desire to solve everything when she realized Marceline had changed the topic. Now was not the right time. Deciding not to push the subject of Marceline’s past anymore, she nodded.

“Yeah, sure.” Bubblegum gave the furry head underneath her a pat. “You see that big orange one over there to the East?”

“Uhh... which way is East?”

Bubblegum pointed, and then tugged Marceline’s large bat ear to the right when she remembered that Marceline couldn't see her.

Marceline jerked in surprise, “Hey! No manhandling the merchandise, Bubblegum. **_I’m delicate_** ,” She finished with a growl, making Bubblegum laugh and roll her eyes.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll keep that in mind.” Bubblegum leaned forward, “Do you see it now?”

“Oh yeah, there it is,” Marceline pointed in its direction with a long, monstrous hand. 

“That’s our closest star. And the one to the north….”

* * *

They went on like that for hours, with Bubblegum pointing out scientific facts and Marceline interjecting with which constellations she knew, sharing the occasional one she had named herself. The two of them had drifted all round Ooo, and Marceline was sure to point out the things she thought Bubblegum would want to see from above. Now, they were beginning to see the Candy Kingdom Village with its little houses and gardens. The foundation and half-built walls of a small castle stood out against the little houses and shops, a singular tower was the only thing that looked finished.

Bubblegum looked in awe at her little village. She loved it so much. Realizing how long she had been gone, she checked her watch.

“Oh. It’ll be morning soon, we should probably head back,” Bubblegum said with a yawn, disappointment at the edges of her voice. Hanging out with Marceline was always so much fun, even if they were just doing stuff like this. She felt Marceline’s large furry head nod in agreement under her.

Marceline began a slow descent in the direction of the Candy Village. The light was still on in Bubblegum’s bedroom, gleaming a quiet yellow from the tower window. Marceline went towards it. As they got closer, she reached behind her and picked up Bubblegum, carrying her in front once again. Bubblegum watched in fascination as Marceline shifted back into her normal self. Marceline let out a quiet sigh of relief when she was back to being humanoid.

Feeling Marceline stretching out her fingers against her arm, Bubblegum looked at the vampire with curiosity. “Is it uncomfortable to shape-shift for that long?”

Marceline looked thoughtful for a second, her long hair trailing in the air above them as they descended. “No… it’s not really uncomfortable. It’s more…” She tilted her head like she was searching for the right words, a fang sticking out over her bottom lip. “It’s more like, I forget how much _more_ comfortable it is being normal, so when I change back I’m like ‘oh man, this is the stuff’. Does that make sense?”

Bubblegum nodded, “Yeah, that makes sense. I get that.” She made a mental note to write that down later.

Marceline gave her a pointy smile. “Good, ‘cause we’re here.”

The window to Bubblegum’s room wasn't really big enough for both of them, so Marceline had to turn sideways and duck to avoid hitting her head. On the other side, Marceline’s feet touched the floor for the first time in hours. They stayed like that a moment, Marceline standing in front of the window with Bubblegum held close, the Princess's arms around her neck.

Bubblegum was the first to break the silence. “Well, you do know how to show a girl a good time. Thank you, Marceline.”

Marceline smiled, setting her down. “Hey anytime dude. I'm like, the queen of showing people a good time. Wink.”

Bonnie laughed, “It doesn't work if you say it! Besides, I thought you were the queen of Vampires?”

Marceline waved a hand dismissively, “Pfft, that too. Hey how's your hand? Still ok?” Marceline was grinning, but there was concern in her voice.

Bubblegum held out her hand, still red from earlier. But the throbbing was long gone. She flexed her fingers, “Still working… looks fine to me,” she gave Marceline a thumbs up. “Too bad I can't say the same about your face,” her voice was very matter-of-fact, but the sideways glance she gave Marceline was enough to give her away.

“Shut up Bonnie,” Marceline rolled her eyes and gave Bubblegum a soft punch on the shoulder. “Go to bed, nerd. Don't you have a Kingdom to build in the morning?”

Bubblegum sighed, “Yeah, yeah.” She flopped down on the bed behind her. She was exhausted, but she didn't want to say goodbye just yet. She did anyway. “Goodnight Marceline.”

“Night Bonnibel.” Marceline turned back to the window, and with a small wave, she was gone into the night.


	2. The Lab (400s AW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bubblegum shows Marceline her new lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in the 400s AW, so it's a little while after the previous chapter.
> 
> Also, sorry for the delay, it took me a while to make this into something I was happy with. Hope y'all like it.

Marceline floated closely behind Bubblegum as they made their way down the spiraling stone steps. Marceline’s curiosity grew the further down they went, and she wondered what exactly it was Bubblegum wanted to show her this far underneath the castle. Marceline had never been down here before, and, come to think of it, she hadn't even known it existed. This thought, combined with the wet, earthy smell that was filling the still air lead Marceline to think that this underground passage was a fairly new installation.

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Marceline was a little surprised to see a wide and very heavy looking wooden door. Bubblegum glanced back at her, taking out a set of keys from her pocket. They jingled as she flipped through them on the keyring, humming to herself when she found the right one. Marceline hovered behind her, peering over her shoulder as she turned the key, the click of the lock echoing up the stairwell.

“Oh, this isn’t creepy,” Marceline muttered, a sarcastic edge to her voice. She gave Bubblegum an unconcerned smile when the Princess turned to face her, one hand still on the doorknob.

“Just wait,” Bubblegum replied. She shot Marceline a look that was almost smug in nature, knowing and unapologetic, before turning back to the door. She pulled it open, gesturing for Marceline to go through, then pulled it shut behind them with a _click_.

Marceline glanced around at the large stone bricks forming the walls of an underground tunnel, hands in the pocket of her jacket. The stone arched over their heads and was supported by heavy wooden beams. She took a hand out of her pocket and ran her fingers over the cold bricks as she followed Bubblegum. Lamps hung down every few feet along the ceiling, lighting the way. The soft yellow glow wasn’t terribly bright, but seeing the curve of the long tunnel and the lack of any other light source, Marceline imagined that it would be impossible to navigate without it. The tunnel was an impressive structure, but she got the feeling that this wasn’t the reason they were down here. Still, it was pretty cool.

Marceline whistled in admiration, the sound bouncing around them, “Wow Bon Bon, this is quite the operation. How’d you build all this? And how did I not know about it?” She craned her neck to try and peek further around the upcoming curve in the tunnel.

Bubblegum shrugged, nonchalant. “I’m a genius, what can I say?” She tossed Marceline a self-satisfied look over her shoulder, eyes glinting through her glasses in the low light. “But if you think this is impressive, just wait until you see what’s next.”

Marceline raised an eyebrow, and Bubblegum pointed to a door coming up on their left. They quickly reached it, and she got out her keys once again, unlocked it, and pushed the door open. A light flicked on in the room, and Bubblegum stood back to let Marceline take it all in.

“Whoa…” Marceline blinked against the harsh light coming from the doorway. Her first thought was that it was so… white. The walls, floors, tables, and cabinets were all a uniform bright white. She blinked again, looking around at all the different things that were now catching her eye. It was a large space, filled with tables, test tubes, beakers, and a lot of other stuff that Marceline had never seen before. It was all very sciencey.

And then it hit her: _this was Bonnie’s new lab_.

 _Of course_ , she thought, drifting deeper into the room. It was much bigger than the old lab up top, and it looked so new and modern that it was no wonder she didn’t figure it out immediately. There was some kind of scale looking thing to her left, and a few different computers and machines all around the room, hooked up to this and that. But, it was all glass and metal and shiny, and the room was filled with the sound soft hums and ticks from the various instruments. Even though she knew very little about science, she could tell it was an impressive set up. She’d never seen anything like it before in her life.

She turned back to Bubblegum who was still waiting by the door, arms crossed as she waited for Marceline’s response. Bubblegum’s face glowed with pride, her eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.

“Bonnie this is…” Marceline glanced around again in awe, trying to find the right words. Her astonishment and wonder getting the best of her, she simply blurted out,“This is amazing!” She floated around the room, eager to figure out what everything was. Well, she was eager to mess with stuff; to press buttons and flip switches and just see what happened. Marceline didn’t really care that much about science, but she did love to mess with things. And there were a _lot_ of things in here just asking for it.

Bubblegum broke out into a huge grin, “Well, I’m glad you like it! I just finished getting everything set up, I can’t wait to break it in.”

Marceline paused her inspection of the room to turn around and say something to Bubblegum. But, she found herself forgetting whatever it was when she saw the look on the Princess’s face. Gazing at her friend's glowing expression, Marceline felt her chest swell with warmth. It was a pleasant feeling, and it spread from her chest to her stomach, and wrapped itself around her shoulders. Something about seeing Bonnie so excited and proud and happy made her feel like she needed to breath again, a sensation she hadn’t felt in over a hundred years.

Confused and caught off guard by this sudden rush of emotions, Marceline looked away, turning to one of the machines next to her. She tried to look casual as she ran her hand along the glossy metal, shoving her other hand into her pocket to keep herself from fidgeting. Wanting to snap herself out of it, she went back to focusing on which things might be the most fun to mess with. The big dial on the machine in front of her looked promising. Bonus points for the red ‘WARNING’ sign over it. She reached for it, her genuine curiosity and impish nature taking over.

Bubblegum, oblivious to her friend’s emotional whiplash, had left her position against the doorframe. She walked over to where Marceline was reaching for the dial, slapping her hand away before she could touch it.

“Marcy, I said ‘break it _in_ ’ not ‘break it’. Hands off the equipment.” There was no malice in her voice, and she laughed a little as Marceline hugged her stinging hand, pouting.

“Aww come on Princess, lighten up. Let me have a little fun,” Marceline said, doing her best kicked puppy impression. The slap on the hand had fully pulled her out of her thoughtful state, and she was forgetting what she had been fretting over the moment before. That, and an opportunity to mess with Bubblegum usually trumped whatever else she was doing.

Bubblegum rolled her eyes, “Do you even know what any of this stuff is?” She waved her hand around the room.

“Uhhh--”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. This is serious equipment, please be careful.”

Marceline grumbled and slumped a little more, putting her feet on the ground. Bubblegum couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little at Marceline’s antics. She was in too good a mood, and she knew Marceline was playing it up just to mess with her. She couldn't pretend she didn’t enjoy their banter sometimes.  

Marceline, still playing the sad puppy, held out the hand that Bubblegum had slapped, “It still hurts, can you kiss it?” The teasing look in her eyes betrayed her forlorn tone.

Deciding to play along, Bubblegum pulled a face, wrinkling her nose, “No way, I don’t know where that thing’s been.”

Marceline looked appalled, “Are you trying to say I don’t wash my hands?”

“Marceline, I _know_ you don’t wash your hands.”

They both glared at each other for a moment, daring the other to break first. Unable to help herself, Marceline cracked a smile, laughing as she straightened up. “All right, I guess that’s fair.” She flashed a pointy grin at Bubblegum.

“You are so dramatic.” Bubblegum rolled her eyes, but her tone was warm like it was hiding a laugh.

Marceline shrugged, “What can I say, I’m an artist.” She took a step towards Bubblegum, throwing a hand on her shoulder and gesturing around the lab. “Now, do I get a special best friend tour or do you want me to figure all this stuff out on my own?”

* * *

For most of their brief tour, Marceline had been able to resist the desire to touch everything. She only half listened to Bubblegum, nodding and saying “oooh” and “hmmm” when it seemed appropriate. She focused a lot on Bubblegum herself, finding that her thoughts kept drifting back to the feeling she had earlier.

That feeling… affection? Maybe she just thought Bonnie was cute? It was true, objectively. She was pretty, with her round cheeks and blue eyes. Her bangs had fallen out of her ponytail, so they were down, framing her pink face. And the way her glasses sat too low on her nose, so she had to push them back into place every few minutes. Okay yeah, Bubblegum was cute, but that's not a revelation. Marceline had thought that since they first met anyway. She watched as Bubblegum talked animatedly about some invention she had drawn up plans for, noticing for the first time just how much she used her hands when she talked. Feeling aware of herself and not wanting to be caught staring, Marceline looked off to her left, her eyes catching on some flicking lights on a panel. It was a few moments before she realized Bubblegum had stopped talking.

“Marceline are you listening to me?” Bubblegum’s question pulled her out of her thoughts and back into the lab.

Marceline whipped her head back around, “What? Yeah! You were just talking about your… uh… thing,” she said without confidence. She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck when she saw Bubblegum didn’t buy it.

Quickly, she thought of an excuse,“Okay, I got distracted by those lights. What do they do?” She pointed to the panel.

Bubblegum looked a little skeptical. “You got distracted by lights? Am I _that_ boring?”

 _Trust me, you’re not boring_ , Marceline thought to herself as she tried to come up with a good response, not wanting to be caught in her lie.

“They’re shiny?” She knew how lame it sounded when she said it, and she had to fight the urge to smack her palm to her forehead.

Bubblegum looked at her incredulously for a moment, then broke out into an amused expression. “You get distracted by shiny things? What are you, a moth?”

 _She bought it._ Marceline smirked. “I can turn into a moth. A giant moth.”

“Please don't.”

But then Bubblegum looked thoughtful for a second, a hand on her chin. “Actually, maybe later. I'd want to run tests on that.”

Marceline snickered, “You wanna run tests on everything.” She sat down on the table behind her, legs hanging off the edge. “So…” she kicked her legs back and forth, letting them swing.

“So?” Bubblegum prompted, eyeing her with curiosity.

“You ever make a baking soda volcano?”

Bubblegum looked bewildered, blinking a few times as she tried to figure out what exactly Marceline had said. “Pardon?”

“You know, a baking soda volcano?”

Bubblegum’s expression was unchanged.

Marceline sighed, “It's like, when you make a model volcano out of paper, and then you mix baking soda and vinegar in it so that it bubbles out and looks like lava.”

Bubblegum looked even more confused. She leaned back against the counter opposite Marceline, adjusting her glasses. “What's the point of all that? I mean I get that it's supposed to show chemical reactions but why the volcano? Mixing the two in a dish or other container would have the same result.”

Marceline shrugged. “More fun I guess.”

Bubblegum thought a moment, her elbows propping her up against  the counter. Then she nodded, “Yeah that's probably true.”

Marceline’s legs stopped swinging as another thought occurred to her. “Know anything about potato batteries?”

At that, Bubblegum perked up. “Know anything? What do you think powers the lights down here?”

Marceline scoffed. “Yeah right, there's no way you got this stuff to run on potato power.”

“It's true!” Bubblegum said indignantly, “I made a new breed of potatoes to maximize output and everything.”

Marceline waved a hand dismissively, secretly enjoying the rise she got out of her friend. “I'll believe it when I see it Princess.” She held back a smile when she saw Bubblegum’s cheeks begin to turn a little red.

Bubblegum pushed herself away from the counter, into the space directly in front of Marceline. Her arms were crossed defiantly over her chest. Marceline mentally punched the thought that, _wow, Bonnie really was cute_. She snapped out of it when Bubblegum suddenly pointed a finger at her face, eyes narrowed.

“Oh yeah?” Bubblegum said, more adamant and determined than ever, “I'll prove it.”

Marceline hands gripped the edge of the table as she leaned forward so they were face to face, their noses almost touching. “Then prove it," she replied, her voice daring.

Bubblegum’s cheeks grew dark red, out of frustration at Marceline’s disbelief or their close proximity, Marceline did not know. Both of those ideas made her feel oddly satisfied with herself regardless. She smirked when Bubblegum huffed and turned on her heel, heading for a doorway in the back corner that Marceline hadn't noticed before. She slid off the table and floated after her.

This door wasn't the same heavy wood as the ones before. Instead, it was white and looked like it was part of the wall. Bubblegum waited impatiently until Marceline had caught up with her, then pressed a button on the wall, causing the door to slide open.

Marceline didn’t know why she was even surprised at this point.

“Oh!” Bubblegum gasped in mock surprise, “What's this? A room full of potatoes? Hooked up to some wires?” Her voice was ripe with sarcasm.

Despite her joking before, Marceline couldn’t help but look on in real surprise. “No. Way.” She muttered in disbelief, too shocked to be embarrassed by being proven wrong.

Sure enough, the small room in front of them held shelves and shelves of large potatoes, all with wires and rods sticking out of them and leading to panels on the walls. Bubblegum took a step inside the room and reached for a hanging cord to her right with a switch on it. She turned back around to Marceline and looked her dead in the eyes.

 _Click_.

The room immediately went black.

 _Click_.

The lights came back on. The first thing Marceline saw was Bubblegum’s pink face, wearing her very confident _I told you so_ expression. Marceline suppressed a groan of annoyance. She hated when Bubblegum was right about everything.

“Do you need another demonstration?” Bubblegum teased, seeing Marceline’s annoyed and defeated expression.

“Okay to be fair, I thought you were yankin’ my chain this whole time.” Marceline watched Bubblegum exit the potato room and close the door. “I am honestly kind of impressed by all this,” she continued with sincerity, placing a hand on Bubblegum’s shoulder.

Bubblegum blushed a little at the compliment, not expecting it. “Well… good. Thank you. Not that you have any frame of reference but, you know, thanks anyway.”

Marceline cracked a smile at this. “Oh, Bonnie. You can build a lab that runs on potato power but you still can't take a compliment.”

Bubblegum nudged her with her shoulder, “Hey, I thought that was pretty good.”

Marceline just rolled her eyes and followed Bubblegum back to the table they were at before, drifting lazily behind her. She turned in the air until she was nearly upside down, her long hair brushing the top of Bubblegum’s head and causing her to look up.

“So… can I turn into a giant moth now?”

Bubblegum pushed her glasses back into place and gave Marceline a small smile, “Yeah, let me get my notebook.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments, you guys are the best!
> 
> (Edit: did someone say flashback chapter? Bc it's coming at ya next week)


	3. The Encounter (200s AW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn asks Bubblegum about how she and Marceline met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! But since I just turned 21, here's a birthday present for all of you. Thanks for not giving up on me. I have more sweet angst coming soon.

Finn picked at the grass as he sat on the hilltop, looking out over Ooo. The late afternoon sun felt warm on his skin, and he pulled his hat off to feel the breeze in his hair. From his vantage point on top of the hill, he could see the Candy Kingdom slowly putting itself back together in the distance. After all the craziness of the past few weeks, it felt nice to just relax and think for a while, clear his head. With a sigh, he flopped down on his back, only to look up and see Princess Bubblegum standing over him.

She leaned over a bit, giving him a little wave. “Hey Finn, how are you holding up?”

Finn pushed himself back up as Bubblegum moved to sit next to him. “I'm ok I guess. Did Jake send you?”

“Yeah...” She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Jake told me you might need someone to talk with, and that it might be good if it was someone with more experience in the… complicated relationships department.”

Finn shrugged. “Yeah, I doubt it could hurt. What experience do you have PB?”

Bubblegum stared at him for a moment, one eyebrow raised as if to say _‘really_?’.

“Ohhhh Marceline, okay yes, yeah you're probably an expert by now.”

Bubblegum snorted, “Well I wouldn't say that, it did take me approximately 800 years actually get it right.”

Finn crossed his legs, propping his elbow on his knee and resting his cheek on his hand. Looking over at Bubblegum, he mumbled out a half-squished “...right.”

Bubblegum reached out and tousled his blond hair, making him crack a smile. “But I still hope I can help out. Let me guess, Huntress Wizard?”

Finn nodded slowly, his face squished futher has his cheek remained pressed against his still hand. “Yeah. So much has happened. And I feel like a different person now, in a way. And like, I know we both agreed that it probably wouldn’t work between us, but I still really like her, so I guess I’m bummed about that? But not that bummed, because maybe it is for the best. But we still hang out and stuff, and that’s ok too. I don’t know. I’m probably overthinking it, I’ve been thinking a lot these days.”

“Sounds like you've got a lot on your mind,” Bubblegum said sympathetically. She was quiet a moment as she thought a bit more, then, “You know, sometimes the only thing that helps make things better is time. Time to think more, time to process… time to grow. I think we’ve all grown a lot these past few years. You, me, Marceline, Jake. All of us. But I am going to live a very long time. I _have_ lived a very long time. And one thing that I have learned is that while it’s important to think things over, it’s also important to listen to your gut. If I’d gone with my gut a few hundred years ago, things might be different. Maybe not better, but different.”

Finn flopped back in the grass again, “But how do I know if I should trust my gut or think things over?”

Bubblegum put and arm out behind her and leaned back so she could see him better. “I said _listen_ to your gut, not trust it. Your gut has some good stuff to say but it isn’t always right.” She reached out and touched his arm. “This time though? I’d say go with your gut. Your gut can be a genius when it comes to love.”

Finn laughed a little, his hair hin his face, “Okay. Thanks PB.”

Bubblegum laid back in the grass next to him, looking up at the clouds. “Anytime Finn.”

They sat like that for a few minutes in a companionable silence, just watching the clouds roll by and enjoying the sun and the breeze.

Bubblegum had just closed her eyes when Finn said “Hey PB...remember the last time we were on this hill,” he picked at the grass as he spoke, “and you were trying to tell me not to date flame princess, and you were saying all this stuff about how responsibility demands sacrifice and sometimes you want to hold someone and kiss them but you can't?”

Bubblegum’s eyes opened and she turned to look at him, “Of course I remember! Hah, you freaked out.”

Finn grinned at the memory, embarrassing as it was, it was also funny in hindsight. “Uh, yeah? Because I thought you were talking about me! But... it was Marceline the whole time wasn't it?”

Bubblegum’s expression softened a little at the mention of her girlfriend “Yes, it was.” She looked off to the side, back up to the sky, and quietly continued, “It was always Marceline.”

Finn playfully nudged her shoulder and stuck out his tongue out, “Hah, you’re so into her.”

Bubblegum rolled her eyes and nudged him back a little harder, blushing slightly. “Shut up.”

Finn looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, “If you guys--er, girls--have known each other for hundreds of years, what took you so long?”

Bubblegum raised an eyebrow.

Finn backtracked, waving his hand out in front of him, “I don't mean in a ‘what took you so long’ way I mean like, why now? Is it because of the stuff you said about guts and time and thinking or whatever?”

Bubblegum nodded, a small smile spreading across her face. “Well... yeah… I guess it kind of is. After the whole thing with the vampires and that wax fraud stealing my throne, I had a lot of time to just sit and reflect on what I was doing with my life. Time I hadn't had in many, many years. And I realized, I was just going through the motions. I made the candy people because I wanted a family and friends and people to love, a community. But I lost that over the years. I let the world and my own dumb rules dictate how I lived. I confined myself to a box made by my own hand. And I pushed everyone away. Even my own people.”

“Even Marcy?”

Bubblegum gave Finn a smaller, sadder smile, one that was tinged with regret. “Especially Marcy. She was the first.”

Finn furrowed his brow, “But why? Weren't you two like best friends?

Bubblegum shrugged, “We were, the very best of friends. But I… was afraid of her.” She ran her hands over the grass, feeling the thick tufts of green. “No...I was afraid of myself. Spending time with her took time away from my people. But I wanted to be with her so much, I was afraid I would choose her over my Kingdom. I was confused and stressed and my solution was to just… push her away. No Marceline, no problems.”

Finn shook his head, with both disbelief and disapproval. “That's kinda messed up PB.”

Bubblegum turned on her side to face him. “Yeah. It was really messed up. Trust me, she didn't go without a fight. You know Marceline. She was determined to leave just the way she came; engulfed in flames and full of unbridled rage.” She finished with a laugh, smiling at the fond memory.

“Yeah,” Finn laughed too, but then, “Wait what?”

“That's how she was when we first met.”

Shocked and excited Finn sat straight up, “Wait, WHAT?”

Bubblegum looked at him curiously, sitting up now too. “Wait, you’ve never heard how we met?”

Finn shook his head vigorously, “No! No one told me!”

Bubblegum laughed. “Ok, Ok, calm down, I’ll tell you what happened. It all started when I was out one day gathering some scrap and looking for materials for the village. After what happened with Gumbald, I was starting to plan my kingdom, and I needed supplies…”

 

\-----------------------------like, 700 years earlier--------------------------------

 

“Hey! Give me back my bag you stupid goblin!” Bubblegum called out, her lungs burning as the ran through the forest in pursuit of the thief. She nearly tripped over a log as she raced half blind into the darkness of the night. Her blood boiled with anger as she heard the goblin snickering ahead of her in the distance. She picked up the pace, pointing her flashlight haphazardly as she ducked under branches. She was closing in on him, just a little further and she could reach out and grab her bag. Her feet pounded the ground, she reached with her free hand, and--

She slammed into the goblin in front of her as he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, sending them both barreling into a clearing. Immediately, she noticed why he had stopped so abruptly.

Looking up, a… line had formed in the air. A perfect white line, just floating in the clearing. The air and the space around it warped inwards, like a seam on an overstuffed pillow. Bubblegum reached for her bag, pulling it off the goblin sprawled out next to her. The goblin didn’t resist, in fact, he was shaking and muttering to himself, refusing to look at this oddity in the air. Bubblegum looked back up at this strange seam in the air, standing up and taking a step towards it.

“Don’t!” The thief screamed, shrill and panicked. Bubblegum whipped around to see him shaking his head violently, “We have to go, she’s coming, we have--”

The seam burst open, flames bleeding out into the world. Bubblegum stumbled backward, tripping over a root and falling down hard. The sudden brightness against the dark of the forest was jarring, and it left spots in her vision as her eyes adjusted. From the ground, she stared up in awe and horror at this rip in space. She could feel the heat of the fire on her skin as the flames reached out into the air, and she had this sickening feeling that it was trying to reach for her. The flames seemed to be coming from another world, or at the very least another dimension.

“ _The high priestess,_ ” The thief whimpered, scrambling backward and trying to stand up on his shaking legs.

Bubblegum quickly reached out and grabbed him by the foot, not wanting to let the criminal escape, “You’re not going anywhere buddy. What is this?”

Before he could respond, Bubblegum and the goblin both whipped back around to face the fiery portal when they heard a noise.

A voice came from the flames, hidden but clear. “Whatever, I said I’m leaving!” A dark figure began to emerge, with their back to Bubblegum and the thief. Bubblegum’s eyes widened as she sat, still on the ground, frozen in shock at the whole situation. It was a person, with long black hair that moved almost like water, and very pale skin. And… was that a guitar across their back? When they turned around, Bubblegum saw pointed ears, fangs, and piercing green eyes. Eyes that were completely and totally full of anger. As the being emerged from the flames, Bubblegum felt the exposed skin on her arms prickle with the sensation of something she could not comprehend. It was like the air had become heavier and was pressing against her, like the pressure of the whole world had shifted the moment this...person had stepped into it. She felt it against her cheeks and the back of her neck, and it was like getting a sunburn but with no sun, being covered by a heavy blanket with no warmth, electricity but with no spark. The pressure made her feel the need to pop her ears, like she was deep underwater. Fear began to pool in her chest, it's cold fingers wrapping around her insides.

Something in the back of her mind told her she was in the presence of an extremely powerful entity.

As the mysterious individual fully exited the portal, the flames died down and the harsh shadows gave away to a softer glow. Bubblegum could now see the person in front of her more clearly, and she realized that it was a girl. Not much older than Bubblegum herself, actually. She was hovering in the air, only a couple feet off the ground. Her pale skin and sharp teeth seemed less intimidating now, and she was oddly beautiful. Bubblegum’s fears lessened but did not subside entirely. Especially when those two glowing eyes were now looking down at her.

Bubblegum opened her mouth, but the goblin dropped to his knees next to her, holding out his clasped hands up to the floating individual. “Please spare me, your highness, please don't steal my soul!” he begged

Bubblegum looked over at him in disbelief, “What?”

The portal closed behind the stranger, leaving them once again in the cold and dark. The heaviness in the air dissipated somewhat, and the pressure shifted once again. It was almost like the longer the portal was open, the more warped the everything around it became. But now it was closed, and everything felt more stable. The stranger crossed her arms, floating towards Bubblegum. The heated anger in her eyes was fading, and she could have sworn she saw the stranger smirk in the darkness.

The fluid motions of her long black hair made her look weightless as she circled them slowly, as if appraising their worth. She stopped in front of Bubblegum, eyes narrowed, “And who might you be?”

Bubblegum, not one to bend to intimidation, stood up and faced the stranger. She squared her shoulders, standing up straight as an arrow. “I'm Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum. Who are you?”

The stranger chuckled, drifting through the air to circle Bubblegum again, this time much closer. “Oooh a princess, how cute. The name's Marceline, the Vampire Queen.” She pointed to herself with her thumb.

“Vampire Queen?” Bubblegum said, “I’ve never heard of you.”

Marceline grinned, sharp and mischievous. “Oh?” She leaned closer to Bubblegum, holding her still extended thumb between the two of them. Marceline smelled spices and heat and old earth. Like hard clay and hot cinnamon. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it was very odd.

With a snap, a small flame appeared from the tip of her thumb, illuminating both their faces like a candle. In the light, Marceline’s eyes swept over Bubblegum’s face, looking for signs of fear and only finding a slightly quivering lower lip.

She moved back, the fire making her green eyes glow. “Well, I guess it’s time you learned just _what_ I am.”

In an instant, the flame was out and she had grabbed the goblin by the ankle and hoisted him up, dangling him upside down in front of her. Bubblegum took a step towards her, unsure of what was about to happen.

“NO! Please don’t kill me, mistress! I’m begging!” The goblin was sobbing now as he hung there, completely at the mercy of Marceline.

Marceline gave a shrill laugh, before opening her mouth fully, showing off her long, sharp teeth.

Bubblegum took another step forward, holding up her hand, “Wait--”

Marceline took a deep, sucking breath, and the translucent mist of the goblin’s soul began to leave his body and move towards her gaping maw. The goblin shrieked horribly, and Bubblegum screwed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch.

The moment she closed her eyes, however, the noise stopped. Bubblegum assumed the worst when she heard Marceline cackle, and cracked open one eye to see the goblin still hanging upside down, but otherwise unharmed.

Marceline dropped the goblin on the ground, “Nah, I’m just messin with ya, I’m not gonna kill you.” Her laughter tapered off, and more seriously she added, “You better run though, before I change my mind.” She hissed for good measure, a forked tongue poking out of her mouth.

The goblin, nodding and shaking, scrambled out of the clearing on all fours as Marceline floated back over to Bubblegum. “So? Does that give you an idea of who I am?”

Bubblegum thought a moment with a hand on her chin. Who Marceline was? She seemed dangerous, but obviously not that dangerous. Mostly it just seemed like she was kind of a wad. ‘Messing with’ a guy by not sucking his soul out _entirely._ Who does that? Even if that little thief may have deserved it. This Vampire Queen has a twisted sense of humor.

“Yeah,” Bubblegum said finally, “You’re a jerk I guess.”

Marceline stared at her for a second and then broke out into a pointy smile. “You know, I kinda like you, Princess. You’re not afraid of me.”

The truth was, Bubblegum was indeed afraid. But not as much as she probably should be after what she just witnessed. Something in her gut told her that Marceline wasn’t that bad. Maybe just kinda messed up. A jerk, but not entirely evil.

“I was going to take that guy prisoner, he tried to steal my pack. But you let him get away.” Bubblegum glared at Marceline. She did not want show any weakness.

Marceline held her hands up defensively. “Whoa, how was I supposed to know that? That’s not my problem anyway.” She turned, starting to make her way out of the clearing, “See ya.”

Bubblegum moved to follow her, picking her bag up off the ground. “Hey wait, where are you going?”

As Bubblegum said this, Marceline had pulled her bass over her shoulder and was plucking at it absentmindedly. “Huh? Oh you’re still here?” She smirked as Bubblegum glared. “I’m going home I guess. But I’m sure I’ll see you around. I’m not leaving Ooo again anytime soon.”

Bubblegum stopped, knowing her own home was in the opposite direction. “Wait, where did you come from? What's with the fire?”

Marceline turned around, rolling her eyes. “Jeez you ask a lot of questions. I just came from the Nightosphere, obviously. But now I'm back in Ooo, which is where I live.”

Bubblegum made a mental note to find out more about this ‘Nightosphere’ later. “If you're from Ooo, how come I've never seen you before?”

Marceline shrugged “I was gone for like 40 years doing Vampire Queen stuff, way longer than how old you are kid.”

Bubblegum scoffed, “For your information, I'm 35.”

Marceline’s eyebrows shot up, “35? Yeah right, you look 16.”

“And you look 20 but I'm sure you're undead and a million years old.”

“Chill, I'm only like 260.”

Bubblegum shrugged, “See what I mean?”

Marceline narrowed her eyes, and for the first time during their encounter Bubblegum felt like Marceline was actually _seeing_ her as she looked her over once again.

“I like you, Gumwad--”

“--Bubblegum,”

“Yeah that. Anyway, you're kinda cool. We should hang out sometime.”

Bubblegum felt her heart in her chest and just said the first thing that came to mind “Uh, sure?”

Marceline turned back to the woods, “I'll see you around, Princess.” And with that, she took off into the air with a _woosh_ and was gone.

Bubblegum stood there a moment before letting herself fall on the ground. She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to process what on earth had exactly just happened. Did she just almost witness a murder? And an interdimensional portal opened and…. Her?

As she sat on the cool grass, the faint smell of cinnamon still hung on the air.

Bubblegum decided she needed to go home and do some research on vampires.  


\----------------------------------------------

 

Finn blinked, “So wait, that’s it?”

Bubblegum nodded. “Yep, that’s how we met. Obviously, our connection was instant.”

Finn laughed, a good, friendly laugh. Bubblegum laughed too, even though she had only been half-joking.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd try a framing device in this one bc why not. Hope yall enjoyed, I'll be back soon 
> 
>  
> 
> Ps while this isn't my favorite chapter, it does have my new favorite Marceline line, which is of course "chill, I'm only like 260"<3


	4. The Return (700s AW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bad fight and some time apart, Marcy returns to say hi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're taking a trip pretty far ahead in this one. This was the first chapter I actually wrote, and after a lot of tweaking I think she's ready. I am posting this chapter a bit earlier than I planned but hey, it'll give yall a little peek at whats to come.
> 
> Thanks <3

Cool night air entered the room slowly from the open window. The was no breeze tonight, and the cold darkness sank into the floor of Bonnibel Bubblegum’s bedroom. Bubblegum was sitting at her desk, facing the the wall opposite the window.

On the desk were piles of paper of varying size and shape, hundreds of notes and letters in their appropriate stacks. The papers has been pushed out of the way and up against the wall. Replacing their usual spot at the center of the desk were a handful of beakers, vials, tubes, and flasks. Some empty, most filled with some kind of mysterious substance, and almost all of those substances were glowing. The glass vessels each cast weak halos of light in the darkness, and the light shifted and shimmered every few moments as if an invisible force was stirring its contents.

A beaker filled with a green viscous liquid began to glow in Bubblegum’s hand as she picked it up. It cast pale shadows against the walls, bathing everything close to it in a dim verdant light. The color clashed with her pink skin, turning her an unpleasant shade of gray.

Bubblegum’s hands gripped the glass beaker firmly as she began to slowly pour the substance into a vial half filled with clear liquid. So far, her experiments in creating a luminescent chocolate syrup had yielded both positive and negative results. The main issue was that the shelf life was only about two hours, after that it became a particularly nasty toxic goo. The clear vial in her hand currently was her fourth attempt at a better preservative.

Hunched over in concentration, she almost did not feel the short gust of cold wind that brushed her shoulders.

Almost.

Bubblegum stopped pouring and her grip on the beaker tightened instinctively. Her body was still with tension for a moment, and then a chill ran up her spine. She felt the familiar sensation of a certain pair of eyes on her.

The instant recognized the prickling on the back of her neck, any fear or trepidation she had felt dissolved. Switching to a new emotion altogether, she let the tension out of her shoulders. Pursing her lips, her mind began to race with all kinds of outcomes to this encounter, and her gut was telling her there was a good chance it wouldn’t be a pleasant one. An anxious, gnawing feeling began to crawl from the pit of her stomach. The voice in the back of her head spoke out over the noise.

_Guilt_. _You feel guilty._

Her hand clenched tighter around her beaker. _Nope,_ Bubblegum thought. _I can’t deal with that right now. Later. Later, later._ She swallowed dryly, pushing down the clawing beast of unease and fear out of her chest. She could still feel those eyes on the back of her head.

All this had transpired in a matter of seconds, and Bubblegum was already feeling overwhelmed. She heard a shuffling behind her.

“Um. Knock knock?” A smooth voice spoke from the darkness, its tone tinged with caution. Bubblegum cursed herself for the way her heart ached when she heard it. It was still the same Marceline. _Her_ Marceline. Nope, that was a loaded thought. Not that. Just Marceline.

Still facing her desk, Bubblegum clenched her eyes shut for a moment as she let out a slow, steadying breath, and when she opened her eyes again she spoke quietly into the night, “I see you decided to come back.” Her tone was painfully casual. She had to swallow again, it felt like the words were sticking to her throat.

She could still feel those eyes boring into the back of her head. Marceline, being an extremely powerful demon, had always put off strong energy. But the way she could _feel_ those eyes on her tonight was making her skin tingle unpleasantly. Her attempts at trying to be cool and collected were starting to fail, if they had even worked in the first place.

“I didn’t know if you were going to come back this time.” She didn’t miss the way it hung in the air like a question. She held her breath as she waited for a response.

Marceline was standing in the window, her figure a dark contrast against the white light of a full moon. The courage she had managed to gather moments before entering the Candy Kingdom was quickly dissipating. She flinched as Bubblegum spoke, not knowing what to make of her restrained and cool tone.

Marceline hesitated. Maybe she should just leave? Maybe this was a mistake, to come back like this after all this time. Her self doubt felt like jagged shards of ice in her chest, accumulating with the cold atmosphere of the room. She took a deep breath and gathered her resolve.

“You wish I hadn’t come back?” The words were meant to bite, to be angry. But as Marceline said them, they fell off away from her, showing her hurt. She clenched her fist in frustration.

Bubblegum’s shoulders tensed for just a split second, her beaker still mid-pour. The green liquid sloshed in its glass as Bubblegum caught the reflection of Marceline's warped shadow. She placed the beaker down on the desk.

“No, that’s not--” Bubblegum pushed a piece of hair behind her ear with a sigh, finally turning to face Marceline. She smudged a cheek with green as she lifted her goggles from her face. “I’m glad that you’re back, Marceline.” The words were sincere, but the little smile she gave didn't quite reach her eyes.

Marceline felt something in her throat when Bubblegum looked up at her, seeing the face that had lingered in the back of her mind for so long.

“Oh…” Marceline looked away, suddenly feeling foolish for a different reason. Her hand that had been balled up in a fist hung by her side for a moment, before coming up to rub the back of her neck.

She hadn’t expected that. The last time she saw Bonnie, they had been arguing again. They had been arguing about their relationship. And Marceline had basically been dumped. And while they seem to have made peace somehow across the time and space from then to now, it still felt… weird. Awkward. It used to never feel this weird. But in this room, the air felt dense, like it was charged with an odd energy. Neither of them could quite look the other in the eye. It was like the rift that had been growing between them had paused, but only for the time being. Like when this moment was over, everything is going to start changing more than before.

It made Marceline feel like she had a cold stone sitting in her gut.

It made Bubblegum feel heavy, like she could feel the weight of her impending loss, guilt, and resolve all at once.

Both of them took those feelings and pushed them down.

Bubblegum’s hands fidgeted in her lap. “It's been so long, in all honesty I wasn't sure I was going to see you again this soon. I know things didn't really end well the last time we were together.”

Marceline was a little surprised by Bubblegum’s bluntness.“I’m… glad I decided to come back then.” She floated down out of the window a few feet, feeling that it was now safe to enter but electing to keep her distance. “I thought about all the stuff you said. And I'm… fine with it. So let's just not talk about it, okay?”

Bubbline nodded, “Okay. I understand.”

They were both quite a moment before Marceline cleared her throat, trying to ease the tension. “Um, I see you’re busy as usual, Bonnie.”

“Yeah,” Bubblegum said, raising her arms above her head in a prolonged stretch, followed by a yawn. “I feel like everyday I get busier. There’s always something to do, something to sign, something to fix. But I’ve never said ‘no’ to a little hard work.”

She leaned back in her chair as she heard Marceline let out a scoff. She shot Marceline an annoyed look. Her chair squeaked a little as she leaned forward to look at Marceline’s hovering figure. Now that Marceline was in the dim light of her bedroom, the Princess was able to get a better look at her. Her heart tugged a little when she saw it was the same Marceline that had stormed out of her bedroom twenty years prior. The vampire’s pale skin was washed with the green glow from the desk, the exposed skin at her knees stood out against her ripped black jeans. A checked shirt hung off her shoulder, and her hair was different, shorter than the last time they saw each other. The last time, when she had run her fingers through that dark hair and--

“Your hair,” Bubblegum pointed to it, cutting herself off, “It's so much shorter. It’s a good look for you.”

Marceline reached up to touch it, suddenly self conscious. She felt the blush in her cheeks as she mumbled out a weak “Thanks…” She was glad she was still floating, otherwise she would have probably scuffed the floor with her shoe. Which would have been even more embarrassing. She looked up at the ceiling to hide her face. She hated how easily Bonnie got to her. Hated how Bonnie’s complements made her insides twist. She needed to get a grip.

“How long have you been back?” Bubblegum didn’t take her eyes off Marceline’s floating figure.

“A few days. I didn’t want to get in the way of all your nerd stuff.” Marceline smirked when that earned her an eye roll from Bubblegum. But her smile faltered as she went on, instantly regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth, “And... I didn’t know…” Marceline trailed off, floating a little higher, slowing inching her way towards Bubblegum.

“...If I wanted to see you?” Bubblegum finished. Marceline nodded. So much for getting a grip. “Look...” Bubblegum began with a sigh, pushing her bangs off of her forehead as she thought about what she was going to say.

“I wanted you to come back, Marcy.” Marceline felt the thing in her throat again as Bubblegum said this, their eyes meeting again. “I always want you to come back. Even if I’m really bunk at showing it.”

Marceline felt her blush coming back as she let her feet touch the ground. She didn’t expect Bubblegum to be so forward. She let out a little laugh, her nerves starting to get the best of her. She mentally shook it off.

“I know, Bonnie. And you are really bunk at showing it.” Bubblegum laughed too, pushing herself up out of her chair. By the time Marceline finished her sentence, she was standing in front of Bubblegum. The air felt better now, not so heavy. Almost… normal. But there was still that creeping feeling of the end of something hanging between them. All the things they weren't saying hanging on a thread above them as they pretended it wasn't there.

Bubblegum’s cheeks were pinker than usual as she reached out to gently punch Marceline on the shoulder. “You’re not so great with emotions either, you dingus.” Her smile was warm and real this time, and she let her closed fist linger against Marceline’s arm for a moment too long before it dropped back down to her side.

Marceline shrugged in agreement, a fanged smile across her face as well. Bubblegum’s hand had felt warm through her shirt. “Yeah yeah, we’re both a mess. So Bon Bon, are we cool?” Bubblegum rolled her eyes at Marceline’s knowing look. She hated that nickname, but when Marcy gave her that goofy grin, she couldn’t help but give it back.

“Yeah, we’re cool.”

And with that Bubblegum let her arms wrap around Marceline’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. As she did this, she felt two cool arms snake around her back, pulling her close. She held tight for a moment, letting her cheek rest against Marceline’s pointed ear. Marceline held onto Bubblegum a little tighter than she normally would have, but something about this hug felt like that were saying goodbye, not saying hello. She let her face rest in the crook of Bubblegum’s neck. They stayed that way for a few moments, knowing that when they parted, things would not be going back to normal. Marceline felt Bubblegum’s fingers dig into her shoulder. When they went to pull themselves apart, there was a moment when their eyes met, arms still around each other. They paused, staying like that for just a moment, just holding each other. Looking at each other. Bubblegum looked away, unable to bear the temptation of doing something she shouldn't.

And then it was over. They were back to standing three feet apart. And as they stood there, they both had a familiar feeling in their stomachs, a feeling that they hadn't experienced for almost twenty years. And just as it had been before, both of them elected to not deal with it. It was for the best. Marceline was the first to move, lifting her feet from the floor and floating towards the window.

“Um, you look pooped so I’m gonna head out,” Marceline pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards her exit. There was an edge of disappointment in her voice, and Bubblegum pretended not to hear it. “I just wanted to… stop by, I guess.” She was in front of the window now, the moon once again at her back.

Bubblegum nodded, feeling just how tired she was for the first time. Feeling the weight of everything that was Marceline, that was their relationship, whatever it was. She did not dwell on the way it felt like there was something empty in her chest. “Ok. I’m glad you came by. I’ll see you later, Marceline.”

Marceline turned to leave, but then she paused, and whipped around and pointed at Bubblegum’s face.

“Hey Bonnie, you got a little junk on your cheek.”

Bubblegum blinked in surprise, before reaching in her pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. She rubbed at her cheek, seeing the green stain on the white fabric when she pulled it away. She looked up at Marceline to ask if she had gotten it all, but Marceline just shot her a thumbs up before turning back to the window again.

Bubblegum waved goodbye, and Marceline took off into the night.

Bubblegum collapsed back into her chair. What in glob’s name did she do to deserve this? She rubbed her face in her hands, trying to organize her thoughts after the emotional whiplash that she'd just experienced. Marceline was back. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of relief and happiness that washed over her at the thought. She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Things would not be the same as before. In the time Marceline was gone, Bubblegum had buckled down and gotten a lot accomplished without someone asking her to hang out all the time. She did miss having someone to hang out with though. Whatever she and Marceline had was unique. She just didn't get along that well with a lot of people, not like she did with Marceline. When they weren't fighting. And that's fine because she has her Kingdom anyway.

“Why is everything so. Hard.” Bubblegum groaned, getting up from her chair going over to the window. She stood in front of it, looking out over her sleepy Kingdom. The street lights buzzed in the city, their yellow glow making everything look soft and innocent. Her heart swelled with love for her citizens, for this wonderful thing she had built.

This was enough. This would have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand there's the angst

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to stay updated, ask questions, or see other fun details about this fic, follow me on tumblr @yeehaw-mothman
> 
> Update schedule: since this is mostly just for personal catharsis, my update schedule isn't very strict. But, most likely I will post a new chapter every weekend or so. If it's been more than 2 weeks and I haven't posted anything, I am giving yall permission to come in my inbox and nag me about it lol.


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